CSA Box #4: Vegetarian Stir-Fry Garlic Scapes with Five-Spice Pressed Tofu Recipe

Stir-Fried Garlic Scapes with Five-Spice Pressed Tofu

This past week, my CSA Box held a larger variety of vegetables than the last three weeks - Green Leaf Lettuce, Red Kale, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, Zucchini, Sugar Snap Peas, Cilantro, Radishes, Kolhrabi, more Garlic Scapes and a Tomato. My immediate reaction was "Yay, more Sugar Snap Peas, some Baby Kale, and Zucchini! But more Garlic Scapes? And what do I do with the Kolhrabi?"

CSA Box #4: Radishes, Red Kale, Kolhrabi, Green Leaf Lettuce, Bok Choy, Cilantro, Zucchini, Tomato and Sugar Snap Peas

After making a few batches of Basil Garlic Scape Pesto and Swiss Chard Garlic Scape Pesto, I have a nice stash of Garlic Scape Pesto and wanted to try something different. Funny, as the CSA Newsletter mentioned a few customer comments from previous years, "too many garlic scapes," or "I just don't know what to do with the garlic scapes." First off, garlic scapes can keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Garlic scapes can also be used in place of garlic, they're just milder. You can also just make lots of Garlic Scape Pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays and stir it into soups, stir-fries and pasta whenever the moment calls for it.

For dinner tonight, I actually made some more Swiss Chard Garlic Scape Pesto, adding in some of the cilantro from my CSA Box, and tossed this pesto with some hot gluten-free pasta, kalamata olives, fresh tomatoes, and zucchini ribbons with a squeeze of lemon juice. Everyone loved this easy, fresh combination! (sorry, no picture as everyone was hungry tonight!)

Zucchini Ribbons tossed with Swiss Chard Garlic Scape Cilantro Pesto, sprinkled with lemon juice.

However, if you're ready for something other than Garlic Scape Pesto, consider stir-frying garlic scapes with either some vegetables or with pressed tofu as I did today. Although the entire garlic scape can be used when making Garlic Scape Pesto, the thin 'whip' at the tip of the scape should be trimmed before cutting the rest of the garlic scape stem and flower bulb into bite-size pieces, as it is a bit tough.

The thin "whip" above the garlic scape bulb needs to be trimmed before stir-frying as they are tough.

Today, I tried stir-frying Garlic Scapes with Red Kale, as well as recreating a dish I have had in the restaurants a few times that I have enjoyed - Stir-Fried Five-Spice Pressed Tofu with peppers and Chinese chives. 

Stir-Fry Garlic Scapes with Red Kale from my CSA Box.

Five-Spice Pressed Tofu is available in Asian grocery stores, and I have seen pressed tofu at Whole Foods. You can also make your own Homemade Five-Spice Pressed Tofu.

Five-Spiced Pressed Tofu is readily available in Asian markets, but you can also make your own.

I wanted to try making this dish using garlic scapes instead of Chinese chives. Since garlic scapes can be a bit tough, I par-boiled them for a minute before stir-frying them. Garlic scapes remind me of Chinese chives with their long, slender stems, except they are thicker and have a crunch to them, more like asparagus or haricot verts.

My husband, who is normally a meat-eater had this twice for dinner - I think that says something! This also happens to be vegan (shhh! don't tell him - that includes all you dads on the baseball team - I know you're laughing, but your wives will get you to eat healthy one of these days - believe me, we've seen the cholesterol results, and they are good! ;)).

Stir-Fry Garlic Scapes with Pressed Tofu

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 Garlic Scapes, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 Thai bird chili pepper, minced
• 1 piece Five-Spice Pressed Tofu, cut into thin strips
• 1 scallion, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon organic sugar

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, and drop in garlic scapes. Cook for one minute, then drain.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large saute pan. Add red bell pepper, Thai bird chili pepper, and garlic scapes. 
3. Stir-fry for one minute, then add pressed tofu and scallions. 
4. Stir-fry another minute, then add soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and sugar. Toss well for another minute and serve.